Panhellenic Association

The Delta State University Panhellenic Association is composed of Greek women interested in strengthening the bonds among the sororities. Its purposes are to maintain a high standard of sorority life and interfraternity relationships within the University, to further intellectual accomplishment and sound scholarship, and to cooperate with the college administration in the maintenance of high social standards. Here at Delta State, we have three established National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities who participate in Recruitment; Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Delta, and Phi Mu.

About Panhellenic Association

The Panhellenic Association is one of the largest student organizations on campus with over 300 undergraduate women belonging. Every sorority woman belongs to the Panhellenic Association immediately upon joining a Chapter. The Panhellenic Association pridefully encourages members to thrive in four areas: Scholarship, Leadership, Philanthropy, and Social.

DSU Panhellenic women take great pride in our level of scholastic achievement. Sororities place great emphasis on encouraging, developing, and maintaining academic success. Tutors, study programs, and other incentives provided by each chapter are indicative of this goal. Additionally, time management skills of sorority women improve as they work to attain desired scholastic goals while meeting chapter responsibilities.

Both the member and the all-Panhellenic grade point averages (GPAs) typically exceed the university all-women’s institutional term average.

Sorority membership offers women a variety of positions to sharpen skills as leaders. Sorority women can be found in the Student Government Association, academic and leadership honor society, and also representing DSU as Student Ambassadors. Sorority women don’t just belong to these organizations; many hold the highest leadership positions. Sorority membership catapults women into these positions through experience shared by older members. Involvement and active participation in activities enable sorority women to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the fast paced job market of today.

DSU Panhellenic chapters support a strong tradition of service to our campus and community. Each year sorority women donate thousands of dollars and, more importantly, thousands of hours to various charities. Each sorority focuses on national philanthropies, but all donate services to several local agencies. Because of strength in numbers and organizational qualities found in sororities, these women achieve great success in efforts to aid in community. The Panhellenic system has adopted several projects in which all sorority women assist with their talents. Last year’s service and fundraising projects included a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat for Faculty, Staff, and Alumnae children, donations to the local elementary schools, Cleveland Community Clean Up and DSU Campus Clean Up.

Panhellenic Council supports the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) by sponsoring philanthropic events to raise awareness and monies for the Circle of Sisterhood. Circle of Sisterhood is a non-profit organization founded and powered by sorority women on a mission to raise financial resources to help remove education barriers for girls and women facing poverty and oppression.

The DSU sorority system provides a diverse selection of events to expose members to a wide variety of social programs. Formals, Homecoming, Greek Week, and chapter retreats all support the goal of bringing women together to develop the bonds of friendship. Development of values, traditions, and honor contribute to the Panhellenic Commitment of social programs enabling personal development. All sororities maintain a responsible social policy promoting Panhellenic standards for careful planning of safe social activities.

Meet Our Council

The Panhellenic Council serves as the governing body for three (3) national sororities at Delta State University; these are Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Delta, and Phi Mu. The Council works to unite all sorority women together to focus on common goals and to create a network of support for chapters and members. We provide interactive programs and activities for sorority women and all DSU students.

Panhellenic Council annually works with the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) to sponsor educational speakers and a variety of activities, which include to an annual Greek Week. Three (3) Voting Delegates and Non-Voting Delegates from each Chapter serve on the Panhellenic Council each academic term. During the Fall term, a Junior Delegate is added to the Council to allow a new member to experience the ins and outs of serving on the Council. From this Council, Panhellenic Executive Officers; President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer, rotate by chapter. These persons set Association goals, and plan and support Panhellenic Association activities.

The 2018 Panhellenic Council is comprised of the following members:

Michaella Wheatley
President
Kappa Delta

Brianna Tita-Nwa
Vice President
Phi Mu

Courtney Nielsen
Secretary/Treasurer
Delta Delta Delta

Hannah Edwards
Voting Delegate
Delta Delta Delta

Karaline Tullos
Voting Delegate
Kappa Delta

Taylor Bowers
Voting Delegate
Phi Mu

Skylar Adams
Non-Voting Delegate
Delta Delta Delta

Savannah Wilson
Non-Voting Delegate
Kappa Delta

Karlie Topper
Non-Voting Delegate
Phi Mu

National Panhellenic Conference

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), one of the largest organizations advocating for women, is the umbrella group for 26 national and international sororities (DSU hosts 3 of the 26) that are autonomous social organizations. NPC sororities are located on more than 670 campuses with 380,565 undergraduate members in 3,234 chapters. Alumnae are represented in 3,889 associations throughout the world.

We are committed to relationships built on trust through transparency, accountability and mutual respect. Innovation and our core values of friendship, leadership, service, knowledge, integrity and community guide us in fulfilling our mission.

While the sword piercing the wreath indicates willingness to fight for ideals, symbolizing, too, penalty of obligation; also bravery, achievement and discipline.

The mantling surrounding the shield is the protecting cloak that education gives us, and a protective influence of organization. Thus, there in the mantle is inscribed the name of the National Panhellenic Conference.

Formal Recruitment

Formal New Member Recruitment (FNMR) Week is a week-long event concentrating on potential new members (PNMs) becoming acquainted with the Panhellenic sorority system; from one-on-one activities with current members to annual Bid Day activities, the Panhellenic Council encourages eligible women to participate. Women participating in the Week’s activities will be allowed to move into their assigned University housing before Recruitment activities begin, even if this room is the same as their FNMR Week room. Residence Hall (fall and FNMR Week) move-in will begin promptly Saturday, August 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

FNMR Week is Sunday, August 9, 2020 – Wednesday, August 11, 2020

Download DSU Panhellenic Council’s Recruitment Guide by clicking here. The Guide contains a schedule of events and activities throughout the Week, health and safety information, a what to bring list, and more!

Any regularly enrolled women in good standing at Delta State University and is properly registered for FNMR Week is eligible for participation. Each individual sorority may have it’s own minimum scholastic requirements to consider in the selection process.

Women interested in FNMR Week 2020 must register by selecting the “Register Now” button at the bottom of this webpage.

Upon completing FNMR Week registration, you will be prompted to pay the Recruitment fee via PayPal. The registration fee must be paid online at the end of the registration process, or mailed to the DSU Panhellenic Council mailing address and made payable to the “DSU Panhellenic Council”. Again, if you are unable to make a payment online, please render a check or money order to “DSU Panhellenic Council”, and send to the following address:

DSU Panhellenic Council

DSU Box 3202

Cleveland, MS 38733

If postmarked or paid online on or after August 1, 2020, the fee is $75.00.

On the registration application, you must submit a profile picture. There is a supplemental items list where you may submit Letters of Recommendation (not required).

What is a Letter of Recommendation? A Letter of Recommendation, commonly referred to as a ‘Rec Letter,’ is a form filled out by an alumna of a sorority on behalf of a PNM. The recommendation letter generally speaks about your character and verifies accomplishments, grades, and activities you are involved in. The alumna should refer to the national website of her affiliation (her Chapter’s National Headquarters) for more information on these forms as they vary from sorority to sorority. It is not the PNMs responsibility to provide her own letters. However, each woman going through recruitment is encouraged to have a letter of recommendation for each chapter, but they are by no means necessary.

So, don’t stress if you do not know anyone who can write you a letter of recommendation! It is ultimately the responsibility of the sorority to obtain a letter of recommendation for you. You will not know if a chapter receives your letter of recommendation, you must trust the alumna who you have asked to write your letter of recommendation. If you know an alumna has agreed to send a Letter, we encourage you to send her a thank you note promptly, it may help remind her to complete the Letter.

All Letters may be sent to “DSU Panhellenic Council”, at the following address:

DSU Panhellenic Council

DSU Box 3202

Cleveland, MS 38733

What if I don’t know anyone who could write me a Letter of Recommendation? We encourage you to consider family, friends, parent’s work colleagues, or other people within your life that you may not be aware they are a sorority woman. In exhausting the first option, another avenue is reaching out to local Alumnae Panhellenic Associations which represent all 26 (inter)national sororities within the National Panhellenic Conference.

Spring Socials may be a first step to learning about DSU Panhellenic life and getting to know our current chapter members. Each Chapter hosts events throughout springtime. If you are interested in attending a spring social, contact each Chapter by emailing them below:

Continuous Open Bidding

Continuous Open Bidding or “COB”, may also be available for women who cannot attend FNMR Week. COB is very casual and is not as structured as FNMR.

Unlike FNMR, there are no silence rules, no long afternoons of attending event after event after event to meet each Chapter. Dates and Chapter eligibility to COB is determined by the sitting Panhellenic Council each semester. Therefore, when a sorority is eligible to participate in COB, they simply contact a potential new member on their own and hold a series of informal events. Each chapter does it differently. Some might go to dinner, host a game night in their Chapter Room, or invite PNMs to participate in DSU athletic events. No matter the event style or structure, they are always a great way to meet people.

For more information regarding Recruitment, Formal or COB, contact the Panhellenic Council by email at DSU.Panhellenic@gmail.com or by phone at 662-846-4666.

Judicial Procedure

In order to resolve a violation of the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) Unanimous Agreements, Council Bylaws, the Panhellenic Code of Ethics, Council standing rules, and/or membership recruitment rules, all violations must be heard by the Panhellenic Council Judicial Board. The Judicial Procedure is a four step process: (I) lead an Informal Discussion between the party filing a report of an alleged violation and other parties involved, (II) complete the NPC Violation Report Form, (III) host a Mediation session (if the accused Chapter declines, this step is skipped), and (IV) conduct a Judicial Board Hearing.

InformalDiscussion – If representatives of both parties are comfortable having a conversation, NPC encourages informal discussion between the parties to address the concern. If a mutual understanding exists, then the parties must contact the Panhellenic President or Advisor to inform her of the discussion. No further action will take place. If a mutual understanding is not achieved, or the concern cannot be resolved, then move to step II.

ViolationReport – The accusing chapter has thirty (30) days from the day of the incident to fill out a Violation Report. The form should be turned into the Panhellenic Council President. If the President is unavailable or the violation is against her sorority, the report should be turned into the Panhellenic Advisor. The form will be reviewed to ensure it has been filled out completely; an incomplete report shall be returned. The Panhellenic President will notify the accused sorority in writing by delivering the Notice of Infraction (form available in the Panhellenic Office) to the chapter president within seven days of receiving the Violation Report. The accused sorority shall contact the Panhellenic President within seven (7) days to schedule Mediation, step III.

Mediation – A facilitated discussion between two parties where the concern exists, shall be held unless the accused sorority chooses to proceed directly to a judicial hearing. It is a process of “assisted negotiations”. All parties must be willing to be open and candid. The outcome of the mediation is entirely dependent on all parties involved. All must be willing to work towards an agreement.

Who may attend? All parties need to be represented. Each party may have no more than 3 representatives, including a chapter advisor. The representatives need to have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the parties. The mediator is an unbiased, neutral third party who has no interest of the outcome of the concern.

What is the goal of hosting a Mediation session? The goal of mediation is the satisfaction of the concerned party and the charged chapter. Everything discussed in the mediation is CONFIDENTAL, including the final agreement. Each party is allowed to tell their version – uninterrupted. The chapters will negotiate appropriate actions to be taken. There are no “sanctions”, rather the outcome is an agreement; it may have expectations or actions that need to be completed. If no mutual agreement can be reached during the Mediation, then a Judicial Hearing will be scheduled.

Judicial Board Hearing – Hearings are closed to the public and are confidential (as are Mediations). All parties need to represented at the hearing and like Mediations, each party may have no more than 3 representatives, including an Advisor present. Minutes are recorded and a final Summary Report is signed.

An Appeal Process is also available, at the request of ANY involved party who is not satisfied with the outcome of the Judicial Hearing. The unsatisfied party has seven (7) days to file an appeal by completing the Violation Appeal Notice form. After receipt of the form, the Panhellenic Council Judicial Appeals Committee will review the appeal. Depending on the violation and extent of appeal, the following parties may be contacted as a part of the process. These include but are not limited to: Inter/National Presidents, NPC Executive Committee, and the NPC Board of Directors, who makes the final decision.

For more information regarding the Judicial Procedure, contact the Panhellenic Council by email at DSU.Panhellenic@gmail.com or by phone at 662-846-4666.

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Awards

During Greek Week, typically held in the spring semester of each academic year, the Greek Councils celebrate their achievements by hosting a Greek Awards ceremony. The Panhellenic Council awards chapters based on a combination of application, nomination, and secret ballot voting.

…is based upon a written application submitted to Panhellenic Council by each Chapter which includes the following: name, date, and members involved in Chapter-hosted philanthropy project(s), and the contributions made to organizations benefiting from the projects.

… awards were first given in 2005, recognizing a New Member of each Chapter who exemplifies her Chapter and Panhellenic standards. Nominations are given from the chapters other than the New Members own.